Hanyou
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: Kuri is a freelance warrior against anything dark and crazy and this definately qualifies. Her arch-foe Sadako offered a No-Watch Ben a way to have powers again—only it turned him into a half-demon.
1. Choice

"It's over, Ben," Gwen said frantically. She put a hand on his shoulder. "You have to stop searching for the Omnitrix. We all saw it explode at Mirazzi Labs."

"Yeah, man, you can't go after something that's not there," Kevin said.

"I know I'll find it!" Ben replied angrily.

"Don't yell at us! We're only trying to help you!" Kevin replied angrily.

"Wait-stop here, Kevin, I think I just saw something," Gwen interrupted.

Kevin stopped the car in front of an old-fashioned gas station. It was nighttime, and they were in the hot Texas desert.

"Hi, Ben Tennyson," said the girl. She had on a red dress that matched her red eyes. "You're famous where I come from."

She grinned, twirling her long black hair with her left hand.

"Anyone else seeing red?" Kevin joked.

"Not funny," replied Ben, getting out of the car. "Who are you?"

Gwen rolled down her window. "Be careful, Ben."

"I'm fine." He turned back to the girl. "Now who are you?"

"I am Sadako," she smiled. "And I hear you lost your Omnitrix. Too bad you're not in the hero game anymore."

"How do you know all this stuff about her?"

"I told you, you're famous," she said in a bored voice. "Do you want to know how to be a superhero again?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a lab technician who has been experimenting with a substance that can make the subject superhuman. I just need a test subject." She smiled.

Gwen didn't like the way this girl smiled at Ben. She looked like she wanted to kill him. Gwen got out of the car.

"Don't trust her, Ben. I have a bad feeling." Gwen glared at Sadako.

Sadako smiled back. She handed Ben something. "If you inject it, it works within hours. Bye, bye."

She vanished suddenly, no flash or sign that she had been there at all, except for the little syringe in Ben Tennyson's hand.


	2. Hanyou

_Threat detected,"_ the computer said. "_Threat detected."_

"Computer, name threat source," Kuri replied, typing in her manual override for the alert system.

_"Sadako alert. Demon recruit."_

"Demon?" Kuri typed in the word on her laptop and clicked search. A result immediately popped up. "Computer, read dictionary entry."

"_Demon: A traditionally evil humanoid with red eyes. Commonly in league with the Devil."_

"Is that the modern listing?"

"_That is the only listing. Anything else, miko-dono?"_

"No, Computer, I think that's all for now. She must be recruiting demons to do her dirty work, that's all."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Kuri ran up the basement stairs to see who it was.

"Miko-dono, I found this kid at the park. I think we should do something," Reiko, in her human form, was holding a humanoid _thing_, with red eyes rolled back in its head and long fingernails. It slashed at her when Kuri leaned in for a closer look, but Kuri could tell it was male, and very, very sick.

"Let's get him down to the lab," Kuri grabbed the boy's feet and helped carry him down the stairs, shutting doors along the way. No one needed to see this, or it would be all over the news, and this kid would turn into a freak show.

We laid him down on the table, and he groaned like he might be waking up, so we stepped back to give him some air.

"Wh-What happened?" he asked us. "Who are you? Where am I?"

Kuri threw up her hands. "We won't hurt you. I'm I. But you know her as a miko. My sister Reiko found you."

"You okay, kiddo?" Reiko was concerned.

"I think so, but I think I hit my head or something. Have you seen my friends?"

She shook her head. "You were-out of it-when I found you."

She was leaving something out. Reiko was protecting this kid. Kuri took a DNA sample and put it into the computer.

"Computer, scan DNA and analyze."

A few seconds passed before it replied, "_Name: Benjamin Tennyson, Age: 15, Height-"_

"Skip to genetic analysis, please," Kuri said impatiently.

"_Species: Hanyo."_

"CRAP!" Kuri screamed, slamming her fist on the table. "How dare she do this to someone completely uninvolved?"

"Calm down, miko-dono, maybe he was born this way," replied Reiko calmly. Then she turned to Ben: "Did you know that you're half-demon?"

Ben got up sharply. "I'm what?"


	3. Hanyou II

"Follow him, Kevin!" yelled Gwen. "We can't have lost the trail, we have to find him!"

"I'm sorry, Gwen," Kevin stopped the car at a deserted playground. "This is as far as the trail leads."

"But-We have to keep looking," Gwen replied resolutely, her eyes shining violet. "We can't just leave him out there."

xxx

"_Pardon me, miko-dono, but I have found an alternate definition for the target word: Demon,"_ the computer interrupted.

"Definition source?" Kuri replied.

"_Dictionary of anime terms. Definition: Animal-type creature with human consciousness. Usually innate. Japanese term: Yokai."_

Kuri flinched. "Computer, can you scan for photos of this 'yokai?'"

"_Scanning. Scan complete. Switching to big screen."_

An anime style picture appeared on the screen. The demon looked completely human, but with red eyes and dog-like ears. A flash of familiarity hit her brain and Kuri fell to the floor. Kuri shook her head and stood up, remembering to stay calm via her training.

"Okay, so you have the eyes, but what about the ears?" Kuri said to Ben.

"I…don't know," he replied, stunned.

Kuri put her hand on the top of his head. There they were, the stubs of ears.

"Yep, he's got them, all right," Kuri said to Reiko. "This may hurt a little, Ben."

Kuri plucked a hair from one of his animal ears.

"Ouch!" he shouted.

"Sorry about that," Kuri said nonchalantly, then put the hair in the computer. "Computer, DNA scan."

"_Species: Canine."_

"Great," Kuri groaned. "You're a dog demon."

"Stop talking to the poor kid like that, Kuri-chan!" Reiko yelled suddenly. "It's not his fault! It was that Sadako, you know that!"

"Why do you care so much about him?"

"Because," she sighed. "You're a hanyo, Kuri-chan."


	4. Transform

Wh-What? What kind of hanyou? And h-how?" Kuri replied, shocked.

"What did I tell you? You aren't who you think you are! You are an ogarasu."

Kuri shook myself. "Kuri don't have time for this. Ben, your transformation will be complete in about an hour. There's nothing we can do, I'm sorry."

Kuri turned to the stairs.

"Kuri-" Reiko began.

"Save it, Reiko. You lied to her. And I didn't sign up for this. I don't want to remember!"

Xxx

"Is she always like that?" Ben asked.

"Ice cold?" Reiko replied. "Yeah, pretty much. Well, I remember a time when she was softer, kinder. A long time ago the man she loved betrayed her and tried to kill her. Then she had to kill him to save everyone. Ever since then she's been afraid to get close to anyone, afraid she'll lose them if she cares about them at all. She spends all her time pushing people away. Now it's her turn to be pushed away, I guess."

"That's really sad," Ben said softly.

Reiko raised an eyebrow. "You're pretty strong, you know. Most people would die from their DNA being altered like that."

Ben started. He had been thinking. "Huh? Oh, yeah, well I have experience with that sort of thing."

"Well anyway, all you need to know is that you'll probably start to have cravings for meat, and you'll have keener instincts, sharper teeth and nails, and your senses will be sharpened."

"So she wasn't lying…" Ben said to himself.

"Who? Have you met Sadako?"

"Does it matter?" He looked away.

"Good afternoon!" yelled Mana. "Where are you guys?"

"Downstairs, Mana!" Reiko yelled back.

"I'm coming down!" Mana called, then headed downstairs. "What's this? Another Hanyou?"

She immediately went into her battle stance.

"Stop, Mana!" Reiko jumped in front of Ben, who was now unconscious. "He's just a kid who was injected with Hanyou DNA."

Mana glared at Reiko, but came out of her battle stance. "He's still Hanyou. I'm not taking any chances. Where's Kuri-san?"

"Gone. I told her."

Mana's eyes softened. "She knows about it?"

"Yes. She may not come back."

Mana was pissed off now. "No. No, dang it! You are not, I repeat, not, going to let that girl leave you! She's my sister! At least…she was."

Ben's eyes opened. "Wh-what's going on?"

"Hi, Hanyou. Reiko's just about to let Kuri go off on her own and she'll probably die out there!"

Ben got up. "Well then let's go get her!"

Xxx

Kuri sat down on a parkbench, and that's when Kuri saw her. Sadako was back.

Her eyes narrowed. A voice came inside her head. _Emergency telepathy, miko-dono! You must use your power! Transform into Kraehe!_

Kuri gulped, but stood, her body forced into immense, terrible pain as Kuri transformed the first time.


	5. Control

Seriously? Her power-up was a feathery tutu? Why the heck did Kuri look so girly when Kuri needed to fight?

"Hello, Kraehe," she said mockingly.

"Shut up! How dare you turn that poor kid into a Hanyou?" Kuri screamed.

"I wanted to piss you off, Kraehe," she replied, laughing.

Kuri summoned the Goraishi and pinned her to the fence with it.

"Wow, you've gotten more fight in you since we last met!" she laughed again. "Is that…dare I say…telekinesis? You are become more like Kikyou every day!"

A flash went through her head again, and the migraine got worse. It was as if Kuri was right at the edge.

"Stop laughing!" Kuri yelled, forcing her harder against the fence.

She kept laughing, wrenching out of her grip, and then she pressed a button on a remote that Kuri hadn't noticed.

"Her Hanyou is programmed to destroy you! And you can't hurt an innocent boy. Especially one that you think is cute." She laughed.

Kuri turned red. "Sh-shut up and turn that thing off! Leave that kid alone!"

"No way! I'm having too much fun!"

Kuri tried to punch her, but she caught her wrist and threw her over her head. Kuri caught myself, however, and landed on her feet.

That's when Ben showed up. "Need some help, Kuri?"

Kuri groaned, getting up just in time to see Sadako press another button on her remote.

"Give her that!" Kuri grabbed it out of her hands.

"Too late, Kraehe." Sadako laughed as she grabbed the remote back and disappeared.

"You evil little-" Kuri stopped. Ben's eyes had gone red again, just like they had been when we found him. Was his demon side taking over? "Ben? You okay?"

"I'm fine. I just feel kind of weird…" He started advancing on her all of a sudden.

"Ben, what are you doing?"

He didn't answer, he just kept advancing. Had his nails always been that long? He growled at her. He reminded her of a rabid dog. Kuri backed away. And the headache had begun again. Kuri could see something else in his face. Something familiar…

"Ben, can you hear her?" Kuri reached out to playfully tap on his head, but he snapped at her like he was trying to bite her. "Ben! Quit it!"

Kuri jumped up, then got into an awkward battle stance. Kuri let out her Goraishi, fending him off. Ben ran into it. He shook it off, then rammed it again.

Kuri released the Goraishi, then grabbed him, her moon birthmark glowing. "WAKE UP!"

He shook his head, and his eyes turned back to their regular green.

"Come on, we'd better get you home," Kuri said quietly, grabbing his arm and dragging him home.


	6. Changes

What am I going to do, Mana?" Kuri asked her.

"He's a Hanyou," she replied, shrugging.

We were outside, in the garden. Ben was upstairs with Reiko. We had a pretty good idea what her overprotective trainer was saying to him.

Kuri sat down in a lawn chair, burying her face in her hands. "I almost hurt Ben!"

"So what?" Mana replied. "Like I said, he's only a Hanyou."

"Will you stop being racist for one second please?" Kuri yelled.

"A filthy Hanyou killed my mate!" Mana spat. "Which you should know since that was-"

"Get over it!" Kuri shot back. "I'm a Hanyou too!"

Mana jumped up.

"Mana, I didn't mean-"

"Save it for your friend Ben!" she shouted, leaving the backyard and going back to her house.

It began to rain later in the day. Kuri sat and stared out the window. Mana and Kuri still hadn't spoken about the fact that Kuri was a hanyou. But how could Kuri be? Maybe Izayoi-no-Setsuna could help her.

Stubs of wings were growing bigger every night. It was becoming difficult.

Kuri wondered if Ben thought Kuri was as racist as Kuri had thought Mana was. Kuri put her head in her hands. Boy, was Kuri ever a hypocrite!

"Ahem," Reiko fake-coughed from the doorway.

Kuri turned from the window and stared at her. "How is Ben?"

"He seems…fine," she responded, unable to maintain eye contact with her. "But it's weird. Hanyous don't have trouble with their demon sides taking over unless they are severely injured, physically or emotionally. So…what did you say to him?"

"Kuri said nothing," Kuri replied. "Sadako attacked us. Ben…shouldn't have gotten involved. She tried to use him against her, and she had this remote…it doesn't make sense."

The doorbell rang. Kuri went to answer it. There stood a girl with a family resemblance to Ben-a sister, or maybe a cousin-and a boy, who looked older than her.

"Is Ben Tennyson at this address?" the girl asked urgently.


	7. On Her Own

What are you guys doing?" Ben asked, coming down from the attic room he was staying in.

"Your friends are here." Kuri said.

"Ben, you're okay!" the girl said, and she hugged him.

"You ran off without us," stated the boy.

Ben turned to her and her sister. "This is her cousin Gwen and her friend Kevin."

"Why did you run off like that?" Gwen asked him.

"I…don't remember…" Ben replied.

"We picked him up," Reiko said. "I couldn't leave a kid out there halfway through his transformation into a Hanyou. I'm Reiko and that's Kuri, also known as Kraehe."

"Wait, Ben, is this about that syringe that that girl gave you?" Gwen asked.

"You didn't inject it, did you?" Kevin asked. "Ben, that is the-"

"Stupidest thing you possibly could have done!" Kuri yelled. "She put a controlling agent in it! She can take control of you whenever she wants!"

Kuri pushed through the group and went to her car. Ben followed her.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"I'm going after Sadako. I have to get that remote from her. She'll kill everyone you care about, and then she'll kill you."

"You can't do this by yourself."

"I don't need anyone else. She'll just try to use them against her. And no one else needs to get hurt because of her. She already altered your DNA because of her."

Kuri sighed and put a hand on Ben's shoulder, but he shook her off.

"I'm not going to let you do this! You could get hurt. I'm coming. And so is everyone else. You are not doing this alone!"

He turned and went to get Gwen, Kevin, and Reiko.

Kuri jumped in her car and drove off. I'd transform when Kuri got there.


	8. Wavering

You are as easily manipulated as Ben is," Sadako said to her.

Her eyes narrowed. Kuri hissed slightly, feeling her nails elongate and her ears perk up as her senses sharpened. Kuri was a raven. And this was her element. The Hunt.

"Are you giving in?" Sadako said softly. "You remind her of another hanyou. One that you killed."

Kuri hissed again, attacking her and pinning her to the wall. Kuri was trying to distract her so Kuri could get to the remote. But Kuri was shaking. Kuri couldn't give up her humanity. Not ever. "Nothing's darker then the mind of someone who's given up. Kuri've seen that, thanks to you."

"Kuri know what you're trying to do. You're trying to distract her." She tied up her black hair and grabbed a knife from the wall. "What exactly did you think all this was about, Kraehe? Not about Inuyasha, and never about Ben, although he proved useful. And this isn't about you either, although you're arrogant enough to think it is."

Who was Inuyasha? Kuri tried to supress the migraine.

"Then what is it about?" Kuri was so surprised that Kuri let her guard down for a second, and a second was all she needed. She had her against the wall immediately, a knife to her throat.

"Just because it isn't about you doesn't mean you aren't going to die!" she smiled.

Just then Ben, Gwen, Kevin, and Reiko burst through the doors of the abandoned lab.

"Come one step closer, and I'll kill her!" yelled Sadako. The group stopped in their tracks.

Kuri pressed her Goraishi to her back. "You're the one who will die today you BITCH!"

"Don't do it I!" Ben yelled, tackling her to the ground.

That gave her the chance to pull out her remote and press a button.


	9. Doubling Up

Ben's eyes went red again. He was faster than Kuri was, and grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her against the wall. His nails dug into her skin, causing her to bleed.

However, he wasn't ripping her to shreds, so he must still have some control.

"Let her go, Ben," Kuri said, maintaining eye contact. "She's just using some kind of controlling agent on you. She really has no more control over you then you give her."

Kuri was really just trying to distract him while Kuri threw him against the wall and then slashed him. The slash turned green from a sleeping agent.

"Sorry, Ben," Kuri said.

Meanwhile, Gwen, Kevin, and Reiko were all trying to fight Sadako, but she dodged all of their hits, causing them to hit each other.

They had her cornered now, and Kuri took a step forward-wait. This was too easy.

Sadako pressed a button on her remote. Four Hanyous came out of a doorway, two male, two female. Each of them grabbed one of us, and held us at gunpoint against the wall (except for Ben, who remained unconscious).

"Hanyous are easy to control," Sadako laughed. "I needed to distract all of you, especially Ben himself, so that I could keep the Omnitrix, which I conveniently found here in these abandoned labs…and of course…I had to find Kraehe and her precious dimensional time-key."


	10. Sacrifice

The second after Sadako said "labs," Ben grabbed Sadako's ankle and twisted it, causing her to fall.

"I don't think so, Ben," she shook her head, pressing a button on her remote.

His body shook as he struggled against her control.

Kuri kneed the Hanyou holding her in the stomach.

"Leave Ben alone!" Kuri shouted, running towards her, intending to grab the remote.

"You can't save him now, Kraehe," Sadako said as she stuck the remote in her pocket and grabbed her wrists. "You lost once, can you bear to lose again?"

She knocked her to the ground. Everything was spinning, and Kuri felt myself shaking. Chaos had brought her to her knees again. Just like before. If she'd killed Inuyasha through her, wouldn't it be easy for her to kill Ben? Kuri had thought again that Kuri was invincible. Kuri forgot how strong she could be, given the right ammunition. Kuri should've faced her alone.

Sadako raised a hand, to hit her apparently, but she was grabbed from behind and thrown across the room.

Kuri looked up. Ben was staring at her.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"You…" Kuri stammered in shock. "Never mind…sorry, let's just get her, okay?"

"Okay," Ben replied.

Kuri pushed Sadako against the wall again, forcing her hands to her sides, so she couldn't use the remote.

"Ben, get the remote," Kuri said. "She can't move."

Ben ran and got it, and smashed it to bits.

"What did you do with the Omnitrix?" Ben asked her.

"I'm not telling you where it is," she replied, somewhat painfully from the pressure.

Gwen, Kevin and Reiko showed up behind us with four angry Hanyous (not counting Ben and Kuri).

"There are eight of us, and only one of you," said Ben.

"I could just probe your mind," Kuri said irritably.

"Try it, and I'll kill you," she said. "I'm not putting the Omnitrix on quite yet, I thought maybe, just maybe we could make a trade."

"What do you want?" Ben asked her.

"Her sister back on her side," she said. She smiled at her. "Release it. Release her from your claws."

"You're not considering this?" Ben asked her.

"No more deaths," Kuri said softly. "No one gets hurt…"

"I promise," Sadako said. "I just want to be the same again."

The room was spinning again.

"You can't just trade yourself!" Gwen yelled from behind her.

"She's lying to you!" Kevin yelled at her too.

Sadako remained silent. She was testing her.

"You…can't do this," Ben said to her.

"You did," Kuri replied coldly, and stepped to Sadako's side.

She grabbed her arm, and dropped some watch-like alien device on the ground in front of them.

"Even trade," she said, and led her out.


	11. Hero Time

Ben picked up the Omnitrix. He was in a state of shock.

"Ben…" Kevin was behind him. "Why did you let her do that?"

"I…I didn't want her to do that!" exclaimed Ben.

"Ben, it wasn't your fault," Gwen said, shooting an angry look at Kevin. "Kraehe made a choice."

"I'm going to get her back," Ben said.

"You'd better hurry if you want to do that," Kevin said. "If she changed you into a Hanyou, imagine what else she could be testing on Kraehe."

Ben put the Omnitrix on his wrist. There was no way he was going to let what had happened to him happen to Kraehe. All because she had to sacrifice herself.

He programmed the Omnitrix to Jetray, slammed it down, transformed, and immediately flew out the nearest exit.

It was Hero Time.


	12. Something to Protect

So what are your plans for her?" Kuri asked, not really expecting an answer.

"You really want to know?" she replied evilly, maneuvering the car to the next lane. "Kuri was thinking Kuri would test some experiments on you…you know, see how horrible Kuri can make you look, and then some brain chemicals to make you completely miserable, or in constant fear of your own shadow, whichever's funnier."

She laughed.

Kuri wanted to make her stop laughing, but Kuri knew that her attacks on her friends wouldn't stop until she got what she was after—her, probably dead.

A shadow passed over the car. Or maybe it was just a cloud passing over the sun…

"Ben, you'll have to do better than that," Sadako swerved the car violently, then suddenly it lurched—and tipped over.

Kuri wasn't worried, Kuri was strapped in. Kuri released the straps with some difficulty, since they were locked…but her psychic mind had handled harder things.

Sadako pulled herself from the wreckage about the same time Kuri did.

Some kind of alien with wings of some kind landed next to her, and there was a flash of green light and it was Ben.

"So that's what that thing does," Kuri whispered.

He got in front of her, a bit roughly, so Kuri knew he must be angry. Kuri remembered a fact about Hanyous, and grabbed his arms just before he attacked.

"Ben…" Kuri said softly. "Your demon half is taking over. You're angry and a bit weakened, but Sadako is completely human. You may be able to kill her, but Kuri don't want you becoming that type of person. Don't be like her…"

Sadako stood at her full height.

"Kill her," she whispered. "We both know you want to. You have to. Think of what I almost did to Kraehe."

"Don't do anything you'll regret," Kuri said, directing her words to Ben, but locking eyes with Sadako.

He relaxed and Kuri released her hold on him, then gripped her Goraishi and hit her with the end of it, knocking Sadako against the car. She hit her head, and was rendered unconscious.

Her knees buckled and Kuri started to fall, but Ben caught her and held her up.

We began the long walk home.

"Ben, I—" Kuri began.

He stopped. "I'm so sorry. I just lost control."

"You shouldn't have, not because of her."

"What are you talking about?"

"You shouldn't have lost it over her. I am not that important. Come on, let's go, her sister will be freaking out."

"What are you talking about? You are important!"

Kuri stopped, shocked for a second, then regained her composure. Kuri had to pretend her heart wasn't beating hard when he said that. Kuri had to be cold. Like ice. Kuri remembered why now. Kuri swore when Kuri lost Inuyasha that Kuri would never care for anyone again. And never lose anyone, either. Kuri intended to keep this promise.

"Forget about her. I'll say it again: I'm not important."

Ben just stared at her for a second. "Can I ask why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you so cold?" he asked her. "I know you lost someone, but why do you push everyone else away?"

"To protect them," Kuri said, spots forming before her eyes. Kuri fell, and Ben caught her again. "As long as they're okay, I'm okay, too. Even if it leaves her with nothing, I'm okay…"

Kuri felt myself pass out.

"Maybe you're the one that needs protection," Ben said to her as her eyes closed.


	13. Fond Farewell

Kuri woke up at home. Kuri looked out the window, and noticed that Kevin's car was parked outside. Kuri rose and dressed.

Kuri went out into the hallway and ran into her sister.

"He's leaving, isn't he?" Kuri said softly. More of a statement then a question.

Kuri went outside, looking for Ben, and ran into his cousin, Gwen.

"We have to get home," she explained. "Our parents will worry. Ben should've told you about this…"

"No, I understand," Kuri said. Kuri turned and went to the backyard. There was Ben, sitting in a deck chair.

"I'll be back, you know," He said to her. "I'm not really leaving for good."

"Ben, I…want you to go," Kuri said.

He turned around and stared at her, a bit shocked. "What?"

"You need to be home, with your family. Not everyone has one. Go. Just…leave!" Kuri yelled the last two words, and turned to go into the house.

He caught her wrist. "Kuri. Kuri didn't expect you to understand. Just…I'm sorry. And goodbye."

Kuri turned, wrenching her wrist out of his grip, and kissed him.

"Good…bye," Kuri said, a bit breathless.

Kuri smiled at his expression. We went out to the car, and he got in (Kevin and Gwen had already said goodbye) and Kuri waved goodbye.


End file.
